The Dark Future and Haunting Past
by Icingdeath
Summary: A strange creature prowls the Icewind Dale. Drizzt prepares for the unknown threat. Catti-Brie continues as a warrior but is prey to an unkown danger. Separated after horrifying events, they both are haunted relentlessy by their past...
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1  
  
Running ever so swiftly across the frozen tundra of Icewind Dale, the creature was a blur.   
Petite in size but clad in pure white, gender and race was unclear. "Must find him, must  
move on, must RUN!" whispered through the winds.   
  
In a whirlwind of sound, the husky voice quietly swirled around the creature. Whether by  
the blurring of quick falling snow flakes or light stepping footfalls, no imprint, no mark  
was left behind in the snow...

* * *

A deep growling -friendly though slightly muffled- aroused the dark elf from his frozen  
state. Though the weather fierce with a biting chill as the snow fell, Drizzt was frozen in  
another sense.   
  
Leaning against the wall just inside the entrance to his rocky cave -arms crossed over his  
lean but fit torso - his lavender gaze swept all across the blanket of white below. Lost  
deep in inner thought, but eyes alert to all movement below, he didn't note the approach  
from behind of his panther.   
  
A smile lit across his ebony face when he turned around to find Guenhwyvar sitting on her  
haunches, fresh (though slightly frozen) prey she killed hanging in her mouth. "Guen,  
either you are becoming more of the sly one...or I'm losing my touch."   
  
Though meant as a jest, Drizzt realized perhaps there was more truth then he realized in  
the statement. His gaze slipped over to his weapon belt as he began cleaning his dinner.   
His scimitars hadn't been drawn from their sheaths in over 2 months now. Guenhwyvar  
did his hunting when she was able to come from her Astral home.   
  
His inner contemplations took most of his time now. The joy of putting his blades to  
work somehow lost it's luster since he last saw his dearest friends.   
  
But the winds had been changing so to speak across Ice Wind Dale. An unrest was flying  
through the air. Some evil feeling penetrated in his heart while he spent time gazing at the  
fields below. When something did happen (if his instinct's proved true) Drizzt would have  
to be ready.

* * *

Sweat covered her entire body. Moving in a well practiced manner the sword dance was  
remarkable. The door bolted shut in her dark enclosure of a room (what typical tavern in  
Longsaddle wasn't full of them?) the human had her privacy.   
  
Auburn air, tied loosely behind her head, smacked against her back as she twirled, leaped,  
parried, and struck. Sword swished through the air in a fast metallic blur.   
  
A body still well toned for her age in the forties, Catti-brie's figure could prove her trouble  
if she didn't know how to defend herself -if she wasn't one of the best and most famed  
warriors around, in other words.   
  
The assumed lover of the other renowned warrior, Drizzt Do'Urden, continued practicing  
with Cutter. She stopped in between to throw daggers. The left hand wall of her room  
had become quite beaten up when Catti took up the new weapon of choice recently.   
  
The death of her father and Regis, the moving on of Wulfgar and Delly, and the  
"disappearance" of Drizzt, freed up much time for the woman.   
  
'Disappearance'...shaking the thought from her head (rumors that people had concocted  
when the dark elf was no where to be found) rised again in her thoughts, screaming in her  
head. Furious, she shook the voices away. She knew the truth...the horrible truth.

* * *

His rest came quick. Living alone again opened up new dangers with no one to keep  
watch. Drizzt, lying in a corner of his cave, tossing in a fitful sleep....   
  
Bright light blinding his eyes, beating rhythm drowning his ears. An even brighter flash  
of silver streaked before his face, the hum of Heartseeker. An even louder scream pierced  
his ears. Laughing too, an irritating laugh from the throat of one he once wanted to  
strangle. "Catti!!"   
  
He screamed although it came as a whisper to his ears. "Cat!" Frantic  
beyond compare, knowing horrors that he couldn't see. Drizzt's limbs turned leaden as he  
tried to move, tried to break the feeling of bonds on his wrists. "Cat...."   
  
"Noooo." He bolted upright, his voice echoed around the cave for a moment or two while  
he ran nimble fingers through his white hair. Shaking his head, Drizzt rose to his feet  
checking that Guenhwyvar's statue still lie safe in his cloak pocket. The sun was rising.

* * *

A/N: Ok...I really need reviews guys! I have a lot planned for this story.   
It will be having a double plot. 1) Flashbacks to the MANY events leading to the  
beginning of this chapter and 2) Plot line that will continue on from this point on.  
(In case you didn't figure, the "'s" will be denoting dreams or flashbacks 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Last night's nightmare had disturbed Drizzt as they did every night he woke to the  
stinging memories. At the rising of the sun's glowing orb he threw his dark green cloak  
around his shoulders, sheathing his midnight complexion -hiding as the dark night hid  
away- and white hair. For precaution he grabbed his weapon belt and bounded out of the  
cave. Silently he slid down the snow-covered, glistening hill.

* * *

Lights of Longsaddle were dimmed as night fell over the town. With one last glance out  
her window Catti-brie saw the night dwellers beginning to rise up onto the street. She  
placed her weapons close to the bed as she lied down to sleep...  
  
_Melodic laughter reached her ears. She flung her head around, trying to pinpoint the  
racing voice. The forest clearing was lush and green. The stench from the slaughter of  
orcs years ago in war had finally cleared.   
  
Rising Heartseeker slowly, she pulled an arrow from the magical quiver. The silver  
feathers seemed to materialize out of no where. The red-haired woman stood in the dead  
center of the clearing, setting the arrow to the bowstring.   
  
As the laughter continued to circle around her, she took an aim, following the voice as it  
ran through the trees.   
  
"Ye durned elf! You're enjoying this aren't ye?" she was truly beginning to get frustrated.  
  
"Ha!" The laughter came even stronger, "You know, you're sounding more like her father  
everyday."  
  
A twisted smirk on her face, Catti let the arrow fly, directed to where she last heard the  
elf.   
  
"Nice shoot, you managed to miss the tree too!" he teased sarcastically pretending to be  
impressed.  
  
"I hope ye slip an' fall elf."  
  
"No you don't," the voice had quieted considerably, not laughing anymore. He made  
rustling purposely in the trees behind her. As she spun around he was standing there on a  
tree branch, hand on a higher branch, leaning forward to gaze down at the human.   
Lowering her weapon she stared at those lavender eyes. It took all of her willpower to a  
keep a smile from spreading on her face.   
  
"You want to yield," he stated with conviction.  
  
She cocked her head, striking a defiant pose as a slender eyebrow rose. Opening her  
mouth to offer a retort she could get nothing out but a half-surprised gasp. The dark elf  
had leaped at her sending them both tumbling to the ground, limbs tangling. Luckily she  
was able to fling the bow aside before it could be crushed between them.   
  
As the sun beamed down on the two they rolled down the slight decline of the grass.   
Laughter came gleefully from Drizzt and Catti-brie. It seemed in this moment of honest  
friendship -becoming close to desperate love- that they were invincible, happier than ever  
before.... _

* * *

'Ash shu di matak lieon'...it was a whisper, an omen in a language only a mage could  
speak or command. Standing in the shadows -on one side of a housing street- his white  
clothes were concealed mostly by black flowing robes. His hands worked their magic. An  
ember of orange flame leaped into his one gleaming eye, so akin to the fireball he was  
about to release.

* * *

Catti-brie, smiling slightly, continued sleeping. Her dreams shifted to a time more  
dangerous and more recent then the last memory of the forest clearing.   
  
_"Here's the cave, the one Bruenor wanted us to find, me thinks," she whispered.  
  
"Yes..." Drizzt murmured. "Come on." His hand rested confidently on Icingdeath's hilt  
as he began moving down the corridor, out of the sun and into a humid, dark cave.   
  
As Catti-brie followed her companion she placed a hand on the wall -not quite as  
confident walking in the darkening tunnel. "Drizzt..."  
  
He tilted his head curiously, silently encouraging her to continue.  
  
"The rock. It's getting...hotter."  
  
He was about to question her before a spark of orange ahead and to the left caught his  
eye. "Lava...molten fire." He pointed in explanation.   
  
Catti began to get hotter, her skin under the armor sweating.   
_  
Tumbling between a past reality and her current reality, Catti only awoke as smoke  
entered her lungs. It choked her sleeping breath.   
  
'I am sweating...it is hot,' she thought to herself, slightly confused. Her eyes flung open  
wide only to be clouded immediately by a thick smoke.   
  
She bound out of bed, throwing the covers, and stepping unto the wooden floor of her 3rd  
story room. Without warning a flame burst up from the floor, catching the blankets on  
fire. Fully awake from the dreams now her mind began to race.   
  
The outline of the window was barely visible. She grabbed her weapon belt of sword and  
daggers. Almost beginning to panic over the missing Heartseeker and quiver she  
remembered that she no longer had it in her possession.  
  
The floor creaked loudly, weakened by the blazing flames. Taking as deep a breath as  
possible in the smoke she leaped out the window opening -unsure of what obstacles lie  
below her fall.  
  
Breeze whipped her hair and a distant din of screams whizzed past her ears...the tavern  
collapsed. Fire erupted high into the night sky as she descended, heat shooting at her  
backside in a shock wave.

* * *

"It is burning." Hearing the confirmation enter into it's head the creature continued it's  
constant patter across the Icewind Dale. A slight smile on the face it kept  
chanting..."Must find him, must move on, must RUN!"

* * *

A/N: Wow, no clue where that all came from. Anyhoo, hope you enjoyed it and please  
leave me a review! 


End file.
